Mr Hal J. Pos, Attorney

Hal Pos is a shareholder in the Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources department where he concentrates on environmental and mining matters with particular emphasis on CERCLA liability and property acquisition transactions. His practice experience includes conducting environmental due diligence in connection with mineral and real estate acquisitions and financings and environmental liability reviews and audits for mining facilities, including gold and coal mines; development of mine and landfill closure programs with a particular view toward minimizing potential CERCLA liability; negotiating and drafting environmental indemnity agreements; representing potentially responsible parties under CERCLA in negotiations and litigation with other potentially responsible parties, state and federal agencies and insurance companies concerning site cleanups; advising clients on climate change and greenhouse gas emission issues; and representing parties in environmental civil and criminal enforcement matters.

He maintains Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating, an AV, and is recognized in the environmental law section of Best Lawyers in America.

Hal has published and presented numerous papers before state bars and professional organizations on CERCLA and brownfields topics and on liability issues associated with carbon capture and sequestration. He currently serves as vice chairman, vice president/treasurer and is on the board of directors of Parsons Behle & Latimer. Hal formerly chaired the firm's hiring committee. In addition, he currently serves as vice president and is on the board of trustees and executive committee for The McGillis School. He also is a former chairman of the board of litigation of Mountain States Legal Foundation and of the environmental committee of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce.

Related Activities and Skills:

• Board of Trustees, TerraLex
• Past Chairperson of the Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Section of the Utah State Bar Association 
• Past Chairperson, Environmental Law Committee of the Utah State Bar Association
• Utah State Bar Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law Section Lawyer of the Year
• Chairperson, Board of Litigation for the Mountain States Legal Foundation
• Chairperson, Environmental Committee of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce
• Member of the Utah Mining Association Environmental Committee
• Member of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation
• American Bar Association: Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law Section; Tort and Insurance Section
• Attended the University of Copenhagen School of International Business in Denmark
• Attended the Warsaw School of Economic Planning in Poland

Published Works:

• Use of Institutional Controls in Mine Closures, Mine Closure, Financial Assurance and Final Reclamation, 8-1 (Rocky Mt. Min. L. Fdn., 2009)
• Use and Enforceability of Institutional Controls in Risk-Based Environmental Cleanups-They're Cheap And Good Looking, But Will They Last? by Patricia J. Winmill and Hal J. Pos, 49 Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute 23-1, 2003
• You Want to Build What? Where? Using Environmental Insurance to Manage Cleanup and Development Risks, by David W. Tundermann, Hal J. Pos and J. Michael Bailey, 47 Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute 20-1, 2001
• Strategic Considerations in Litigating and Settling Private Cost Recovery Actions for Environmental Cleanups, 40 Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute 6-1, 1994
• Contributing author: Utah Environmental Law Handbook, Government Institutes, 1993